CHINA'S top judge said yesterday there should be no letup in the hard line against criminals.
Judge Ren Jianxing said the 'iron-fist' approach should continue for the next 15 years.
He made the call at a law and order conference in Beijing, Xinhua (the New China News Agency) said.
The conference is part of a series designed to map out the work of various government departments for next year.
Judge Ren - the secretary of the Communist Party's Central Commission of Political Science and Law - laid down eight principles for law enforcement officials, reminding them that 'maintaining social stability' should be their top priority.
In cases of serious crime, judges should follow the principles of 'heavy sentences and quick trials', he was quoted as saying.